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A headquarters of Russia's mercenary Wagner group has been struck in the Luhansk Oblast region. According to Ukrainian officials, losses were significant.

The Wagner group is known to be brutal. And they have been known to recruit their soldiers from prisons. 

 The private military contractor with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin often operates beyond the law. Many of the human rights abuse cases Ukraine has reported involve the group according to CNN.

The Wagner group is being heavily targeted by Ukraine. The Luhansk Oblast is in eastern Ukraine within a breakaway region (2014–2022). And it was annexed by Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. 

Wagner group hit in multiple locations

Governor-in-exile of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai claims that Ukrainian forces stormed a hotel used by Wagner as a strategic operations center. The base was in Russian-occupied Kadiivka, Luhansk. 

Haidai said the group suffered severe losses in the attack. And with the lack of available medical care in the area, more casualties are expected.

In August Ukraine claimed to have destroyed another of Wagners bases in Luhansk.  And there are reports this weekend Ukraine levelled a Russian base in Melitopol using Himars missiles.

Russia attacks key infrastructure

Moscow has been using drones and missiles to attack civilian infrastructure since October 10th. They started the tactic when Ukraine had a string of military successes that caused a massive Russian withdrawal.

Attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and the power grid are making life difficult throughout Ukraine. Russia is using Iranian built drones fully-loaded to do the most damage.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian army said it was able to shoot down 10 drones. Five drones made it through to hit energy facilities in the port city of Odesa. And 1.5 million people were left without power.

"The situation in the Odesa region is very difficult," Ukraine’s President Zelensky said in his video address. "Unfortunately, the hits were critical, so it takes more than just time to restore electricity. It doesn't take hours, but a few days."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue attacking energy infrastructure despite.

"Yes, we do that. But who started it?" Putin said at a Kremlin “Hero of Russia” awards ceremony. "There's a lot of noise about our strikes on the energy infrastructure of a neighboring country. Yes, we do that. But who started it?"